A Future (and Past) Unwritten
by Dacyon
Summary: Kataangst; She screamed towards the heavens, crying out her hatred of the spirits for destroying her mind. "My advice to you, Master Katara, is to know that even the smallest ripples can create the deadliest of waves." Rated T: For mentions of sex, but largely for violence and character death.
1. Chapter 1: Love Lost

**Rated T**: For mentions of sex, but largely for violence and character death (nothing horrifically graphic, but nonetheless it is there).

**A/N** – This story is largely Kataangst. . . So if that's not your thing, I'd turn back now. At some points, both Aang and Katara might be out of character to how they were portrayed in the show, but keep in mind the events that caused this scenario would have _radically_ affected them, and so I'm trying to keep them as in-character as possible while having their personalities reflect what they've gone through. Also, I'm trying to edit it so it's not as much, but Katara cries _a lot_ in this story. And it's not hopeful Tearbending, either. . .

Aang starts out roughly 19 years old, so the ages of other characters can be calculated from there. This story 'jumps' forward in time, but at an unmentioned rate, so unless ages are specified or it is otherwise noted, every time a 'jump' is made, the characters get older.

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko; I own nothing.

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**Chapter 1: Love Lost**

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Katara woke from her dreamless slumber, unsure at first as to why she had awoken and felt so alert. Glancing towards the open window, she saw the almost-full moon high in the night sky. _'That's why,' _she thought groggily, remembering how difficult it could be for Waterbenders to sleep around the full moon. Still in bed, she stretched her arms before turning to face the other side of the bed, hoping to wake up her partner for some late-night Waterbending practice. Reaching a hand towards where his forehead was hidden in the shadows, Katara closed her eyes as she felt – nothing. Her eyes flew open and the memories flooded back to her. Rising from her bed, she got dressed before walking outside of the small inn she was staying at in the Fire Nation's capital city. Once she was on the outskirts of the city, she ran, as fast as she could, up the slope of the caldera and out to the jagged cliffs overlooking the ocean below.

She began to Waterbend. And not just a little bit, either. Soon, streams of water were erupting from the ocean, far below, at her command. She continued to bend the water around her with a fearsome grace until she felt herself becoming physically exhausted. With a final flick of her wrist, gallons of water dropped from the precipice she stood upon and fell back to the ocean below. Her element left her alone, just as she had been for the past month. And it was all _her fault_.

She screamed towards the heavens – and as she was far away from the capital city at this point, no one heard her – crying out her hatred of the spirits for destroying her mind, as her heart and soul belonged to Aang while she gave her body to Zuko. Why did she deserve the torture she had brought upon herself? She loved Aang and only saw Zuko as a friend, so why was this lust destroying her? Where did her lust for the Fire Lord _even come from_? After her first night with Zuko, which she immediately regretted, cursing him and claiming it to have been a drunken heat-of-the-moment mistake (which they both agreed it was) she had returned to Aang.

But whenever she was with Aang, she wanted to be in Zuko's bed, letting the Fire Lord have his way with her. When she finally got to that moment though, despite what physical pleasure she experienced, she never enjoyed it for her mind wandered to her feelings of guilt and betrayal and how she still loved Aang. She wished it was Aang pleasuring her instead of Zuko, but she had learned that Aang was waiting until he was married to have sex, as the monks believed it to be a sacred act between two people, bound either through marriage or as life partners – while Katara had her first time in a mixture drunken lust and raging hormones. She sobbed, wishing desperately to take back what had been her worst mistake.

It had happened three months ago, and then, one month ago, after she lied to Aang about it, he left her. He had told her that he had known about the affair from the beginning – he wasn't the oblivious child she had rescued from the iceberg all those years ago. After the first time she slept with Zuko, Aang had known, but he assumed it was – as it had been – a mistake, and being the person he was, despite his inner disappointment and anger, he mentally forgave them both – even though they thought he didn't know. As the weeks passed, however, he fought to keep his sanity as she left to visit the Fire Lord more frequently, and when he confronted Katara about it, she had lied.

_"Aang, it was a mistake. It was one time. I regret it more than anything in the world, truly I do, but it was a result of too much sake and stupid hormones. Nothing has happened since that night." She immediately regretted lying – the built-up feelings of betrayal and rage burst forth from her normally tranquil boyfriend. _

_"KATARA! I know it wasn't just _one_ night! Do you think I can't see how the two of you act around each other?! I thought we could work though this – I had forgiven you for cheating on me the first time, but _continuing_ to cheat on me and then _lying_ about it? How can I possibly trust you now?" He turned his head away from her, his eyes shut tight, "I need to clear my head. And don't come looking for me! You won't find me! Go back to your lover's arms and enjoy your life Katara! As of this moment, we're officially through!" Tears were stinging both of their eyes as the full-impact of her actions hit Katara with renewed force._

_Between her sobs, she choked out, "Aang, I'm so, s-so sorry! I _never_ wanted this! I still l-love you more than anything and I feel nothing for Zuko! I couldn't control myself – I don't know why! I love you! Please, p-please don't leave me! I'll spend my life making this up to you! _Please_, Aang! _I love you_!" _

_She saw his hesitation as he stood in the doorway, staff in hand and a pack slung over his back. Had this been any other situation earlier in their relationship – even their friendship – Aang would have been on his knees at Katara's side. But this was different. She had taken his heart, cut it out, frozen it, and thrown it on the ground – the shattered pieces scattering in a million different directions. He was broken – and it was all her fault, and she _knew_ it. "I'm sorry, Katara. I know we can't work past this." He turned to leave, but paused. "And the worst thing is – I still love you, too." And with that, he was gone._

"We're sorry for putting you through this Katara, but you must understand the full impact of your actions – such is the punishment of one playing with the Avatar's love." The voice startled her and she whipped around to face her unwelcome, and surprisingly knowledgeable, visitor.

"I know I screwed up!" She screamed through tear-filled eyes which blurred her vision from identifying her new companion. "But I _never_ wanted to play with Aang's love – despite our faults and our occasional fights, our relationship was pure and wonderful and loving and I hate knowing I killed it! I would give anything to change the past!" Suddenly the rest of the visitor's words hit her. "What do you mean you're 'sorry for putting me through this'? What are you talking about?!" Brushing away the tears from her eyes, she gasped as she gazed upon the form of an elderly Firebender, one whom she had seen many times before. "Avatar Roku?"

The spirit smiled a small, sad smile as he replied. "Yes, I am Avatar Roku, Katara. And what I meant was, we're sorry that we're showing you such pain and sorrow – but we believed it to be the only way to get through to you. As for changing the past, it's hard to change something that hasn't happened yet." As the words left his mouth, Katara saw her environment change, and suddenly, she was in the Palace library, sitting at a table with a bottle of sake between her and Roku.

"This is where it all began – or should I say, might begin, is it not?" At Katara's cautious nodding, he continued. "The 'memories' you have of your time with my great-grandson are merely visions of one possible future. The actions in these visions would result in upsetting the balance of the world yet again, albeit indirectly. At any other time in your relationship, such _infidelity_," Roku paused as Katara sniffed and a fresh tear streamed down her face at his words, "or the _dissolution_ of your romantic relationship with Aang would not have such profound effects." Roku sighed, "Unfortunately, this is the worst possible time, and honestly, the worst possible outcome that you could have ever created."

Katara glanced up at Aang's most recent past-life with a questioning look on her face. "What do you mean?"

A new, more feminine voice, full of authority, startled Katara, but the young Waterbender recognized it as belonging to Avatar Kyoshi, who was now sitting to her left. "Had you or Aang dissolved your relationship, either by a loss of romantic feelings individually or mutually, you both would have moved on. Had you cheated on Aang and told him the truth, he would have moved on. In most such possible scenarios, you would both move on and although awkward at first, your friendship would survive. He would have moved on at any other time had you ended your romantic relationship with him – except for this time. Aang has been under a lot of stress lately, as I'm sure you knew. The fledgling United Republic is struggling to survive and Aang had been busy quelling uprisings throughout the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. To suddenly have his girlfriend – his best friend, his pillar of stability, sanity, and _love_ – cheat on him and then proceed to lie to him about it has sent Aang over the edge." Kyoshi spit out her last sentence with such force that you could feel the venom dripping from her words.

"I believe you mean 'would send,' Kyoshi, as none of that has happened yet – and it might never happen." The new masculine voice turned Katara's attention to her right, where a man of Water Tribe descent sat. "I'm Avatar Kuruk, the Avatar before Kyoshi."

"And I am Avatar Yangchen, young Waterbender." Katara, at this point had gotten used to Aang's past lives randomly positioning themselves around the table, and thus wasn't as startled when a middle-aged Air Nomad woman was now sitting across from her, beside Roku. "We believe you are already acquainted with, to some extent, the spirits Hei Bai, Yue, and The Painted Lady." At Yangchen's gesturing, Hei Bai, in his peaceful form, appeared behind herself and Roku, while Yue took a seat closer to Katara alongside Kyoshi and The Painted Lady sat between Kuruk and Katara.

"Alright, I'm really, really confused, and honestly, a little frightened, right now. Can someone please tell me what's going on?!" Katara exclaimed to the gathered spirits around her.

Turning to her old friend, Yue placed a comforting hand on Katara's forearm. "Katara, everything you 'remember' from the last few months hasn't happened. You haven't slept with Zuko and you haven't formed a rift between yourself and Aang – yet."

Katara, at hearing Yue's words was both comforted and more distraught, if it were possible. "Yue, please, what do you mean 'yet?' I'm so, so _happy_ to know that I haven't lost Aang and made the biggest mistake of my life, but why are you making it sound like this is inevitable? I love Aang more than any of you can understand and now that I know what's going to happen, I'm going to make sure that I go to bed early tonight and leave Zuko to drown his worries in sake on his own, that way none of these 'memories' ever happen!" Her own words strengthening her resolve, she then proceeded to ask another question. "So why are you telling me all this? I promise you I won't hurt Aang and disrupt the balance of the world!"

At this, The Painted Lady turned towards her former impersonator. "Master Katara, while we do not doubt your sincerity in this matter, it has been decided by majority vote of this group to best ensure that you avoid temptation tonight, you must be shown the full consequences of your actions – at least, for the rest of your time on this physical plane."

"Wait, you mean by becoming obsessed with having sex with a man I hold no romantic feelings towards, as a result of getting drunk one night, thus destroying my relationship with Aang, and hating myself every day since that night … erm, tonight, isn't painful enough!?" Katara was, at this point, quite frustrated with her situation. While she had gotten everything she had been hoping for since she and Zuko had first slept together – which was to go back in time so that it never happened – she couldn't help but feel the spirits charging her with 'disrupting the balance of the world' were blowing the situation out of proportion.

At this, Hei Bai 'spoke' to the Waterbender, adding yet another shocking experience to Katara's evening. «_We are going to show you two possible outcomes to this night. The first will continue your current 'memories' and show you how the world will fall apart again. Whereas the Hundred Year War was caused by deliberate betrayal on the part of Fire Lord Sozin towards Avatar Roku, the Hundred Day War could be caused by your unintended betrayal of Avatar Aang's love. After you understand how the world collapses from your potential infidelity, we will provide you with glimpses of the second potential timeline – the one in which you would remain faithful to Aang._»

Katara held her head in her hands, struggling to stay collected in the face of the Forest Spirit's news. "What do you _mean_ Hundred Day War? I know my actions have been – would be – catastrophic to my relationship with Aang and the rest of my friends and family, but it couldn't possibly be horrible enough to start a war!"

"Let us show you, Katara, rather than merely try and tell you."

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**A/N** - So, there's the first chapter. I liked the original idea I had for this story, but I'm not really liking the story itself. I hate that I love Kataangst as much as I do (nowhere near as much as I love fluff, but still) and I feel like I can't write it very well. And implied Zutara sex (*shudders*) _and _that Zuko and Katara, _especially_ Katara, despite continuing the affair, do feel regret for their actions. I hated having to write an implied Zutara affair, especially after writing that parody story about secret Zutara love affairs…

The next three chapters should be up pretty quickly, and I have a partial fifth chapter I'm still working on, but beyond that, I'm kind of stuck with this story.


	2. Chapter 2: Decisions We'll Regret

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko; I own nothing.

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**Chapter 2: Decisions We'll Regret**

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_"Let us show you, Katara, rather than merely try and tell you."_ Roku waved his hand, creating a mist throughout the Palace Library and as it dissipated, Katara gasped as she stood, with the spirits, in the Southern Air Temple. Specifically, they were in the temple sanctuary among the statues of Avatars past, but this time, instead of the line ending in a statue of Roku as it had in her real memories, it stopped at Aang, sitting in a Lotus position. He was meditating, his arrow tattoos glowing with their unearthly white light. "He has been like this ever since he left you one month ago."

Katara glanced at the spirit of the old man beside her in shock, "He can't have stayed like this for a whole month! How has he survived?" After her slight outburst, she noticed that Roku was now a transparent blue figure. Glancing at the other spirits surrounding her, and at herself, she found they were all of a similar state.

"In answer to your obvious next question, we are in this state so that Aang can't see us. As spirits, we only allow the Avatar to see us when we want to be seen, despite the Avatar serving as the bridge between our world and yours. In response to your first question, although it is shocking, he has been like this for a month. He enveloped himself in a sphere of energy, just like he had during his century-long suspended animation in the iceberg. Despite this, it sometimes wavers due to his turbulent emotional state and he has been slowly starving to death."

Upon closer inspection, Katara could see that her beloved was indeed famished – his ribs were clearly visible and his skin, despite the glow radiating from parts of it, was visibly paler than it should have been. Sobbing, the Water Tribe girl dropped to her knees and tried to pull her Air Nomad boyfriend – or possible ex-boyfriend to be – into a hug to comfort him, but to no avail.

"While with us, you will function as a spirit, and as such, you will not be able to interact directly with those on the physical plane." Nodding at Roku's words, Katara placed her hands in her laps, staring at Aang's face. His hair had grown out slightly, before stopping from malnourishment – despite the circumstances Katara couldn't help but smile at it; she had always liked his hair. Then a wry chuckle escaped her lips as she saw that the stubble on Aang's chin and jawline he was constantly shaving away had grown into a short beard. He looked nice with a beard – different, but nice. It suited the more mature look he had been trying to give himself the past few years in an effort to outgrow his reputation as 'just a boy.' Then she saw his eyelids and his cheeks, covered in what could only be the stains of dried tears and Katara's own eyelids released their own tears anew as her sobs shook her body. She raised her head when she felt a hand on her shoulder, wiping her tears from her eyes.

"I … I did this to him, didn't I? I really, truly broke him." The face of Avatar Kyoshi appeared impassive, but Katara saw the sympathy deep within her eyes – largely for Aang, but also for Katara. Kyoshi nodded in response to Katara's questioning before presenting the young Waterbender with a question of her own.

"Did Aang ever tell you about his experience with Guru Pathik? How he wasn't able to unlock his seventh chakra?"

Katara froze at her questions – she knew exactly what the Earth Kingdom Avatar was describing. "Aang told me everything after we became a couple. He couldn't unlock the seventh chakra because he wasn't willing to let go of his earthly attachment – me. But something I never understood – then how was he able to enter the Avatar State beneath Ba Sing Se?"

Kyoshi locked her eyes with Katara's, and before the young woman could ask what she was doing, the Avatar's eyes glowed, presenting Katara with a scenario she remembered all too well – the catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se. This time, however, everything was from Aang's perspective.

_"There's too many."_

_Glancing around, Aang knew there was only one way he and Katara could possibly survive this fight. He stared at her as Guru Pathik's words echoed in his mind, _'The only way is to let her go.'_ He knew that it was for the best. He loved her enough that he was willing to let go of that love if it meant she would survive this ordeal. _

_"I'm sorry, Katara." _

_Somehow, though, as he enclosed himself in a shelter of glowing crystals, he couldn't help but feel he was taking something away from her that she deserved. Even if she didn't share his romantic feelings, she still loved him as a friend – as a best friend, and to not be able to return her love even in that regard, it killed him inside. _

_He knew he had to do it quickly, but he felt a few silent, tearless sobs wrack his body as he began to let go of her. He felt the energy enter his body, and before he knew it, the top of his shelter had been blown away and he was floating in the air, the cosmic energy of the Avatar State radiating out from him. In an instant he saw Zuko and the Dai Li back away in a mixture of awe and fear at the sight while Katara looked on in hope and wonder, a mixture of pride … and friendly affection (or was that love?) etched on her beautiful face. Aang's mind was racing while his body prepared to unleash an assault on their attackers – he had unlocked the Avatar State, but he could still feel his connection to Katara! But it was slipping… _

_Before he had a chance to act, he saw the Avatar State, floating in the void of space, go dark and fall below the path of energy he walked on. Just as suddenly the path itself disappeared right as Aang started to feel an unimaginable pain in his body. As his spirit fell towards the world below and reentered the physical realm, he felt – nothing. _

_The unspeakable pain was gone and with it, so it seemed, was his life. _

_Then, just as suddenly as it was taken from him, his life returned. Groaning in a combination of relief and agony, Aang knew who his savior was before he even opened his eyes. As his eyelids separated ever so slightly, he saw her face, and couldn't help but smile. Seeing her smile back, as tears of happiness rolled down her cheeks replacing what he could only guess were tears of sorrow, he knew he hadn't lost her – he still loved her, he hadn't been able to let her go. And then, as she brought him up in an embrace, before gently resting his battered body against Appa, darkness claimed him again. But this time, he was alive. _

Katara gasped for air as she was released from Aang's memories – the experience had been slightly overwhelming, to say the least. "He hadn't fully let me go because Azula killed him before he could?" She noticed Yangchen had appeared on her other side as Kyoshi left to rejoin the rest of the group.

"Correct, Katara. And despite this, he was still able to enter the Avatar State during his showdown with Fire Lord Ozai. He came to his four most recent past lives," She gestured to herself and the other gathered Avatars, "for advice on how to defeat the Fire Lord, largely for how to do so without killing him." Katara smiled at the memory – even when everyone else, herself included, had practically been shouting at Aang to kill a man the world would not miss, the young Airbender had stuck by his beliefs and found an alternative method to ending the war. "When he came to me, I told him that he must put the needs of the world before his own spirituality. I also told him that because he is the Avatar, he could never fully disconnect himself from the world – for the Avatar is the spirit of the world incarnate and it is impossible to separate yourself _from_ yourself. Thus, when Ozai indirectly triggered the Avatar State, the sudden influx of cosmic energy, combined with the wisdom Aang had gained, allowed him to master the Avatar State in that moment, without giving the world, and his world – _you_ – up."

"I understand now, thank you, Avatar Yangchen." The older woman smiled at her before turning her gaze towards her fellow spirits and stepping away from Katara. In her place, Avatar Kurk slowly sat down beside his fellow Water Tribesman.

"I, out of all gathered here, can understand the guilt you feel Master Katara. I know that it is possible your guilt over cheating on Aang will never come about, but still, I know what you are feeling." Katara opened her mouth to object, but Kuruk continued. "Before you protest, yes, I know you're adamant about not betraying Avatar Aang, but we cannot dismiss the possibility that it still might occur." The Avatar then hung his head, eyes closed, signifying he was ashamed of whatever tale he was going to tell her.

"Before I met my wife, Ummi, I was a very reckless man. I am not proud of the vast majority of my actions before I met her. The constant dueling and bending challenges I would enter into were the least of my foolish displays of my status as the Avatar. I would also enjoy the presence of female companions quite often. I even seduced wives who were happily married just because I found them to be attractive. When I met Ummi, I was overcome with guilt over my actions. I knew that the spirits had sent me a gift in the form of my bride, a woman capable of taming the beast I had become." A single tear slid down the side of Kuruk's face, but he made no effort to wipe it away.

"I wrecked many a marriage, including my own. On my wedding day, the spirit Koh, the face-stealer, stole my wife from me as punishment for my former irresponsible lifestyle. The greatest guilt I feel is to know that had I not cheated on so many good husbands, my beloved and I would have been officially wed that day and we could've had long, happy lives together." Opening his eyes and turning his head towards Katara, he continued. "In addition, my lack of action as the Avatar – since the world was at peace thanks to Yangchen – led to many of the problems Kyoshi faced as my successor. My advice to you, Master Katara, is to know that even the smallest ripples can create the deadliest of waves." Rising from his seat next to Katara, the young Waterbender waited expectantly for Roku to take his place.

Not disappointing his reincarnation's love, the old man kneeled before Aang, a frown playing on his features. "You've probably been wondering why Aang is in this state. Well, just as you made a foolish mistake in the heat-of-the-moment, your beloved is no wiser. In his sorrow and pain, Aang has decided that he can only protect the world without emotion; that it would be easier to be decisive in his actions if he let go of his love for you. I'm sorry, Katara, but you are witnessing the final moments that Aang will ever love you."

"WHAT?! _No_! Aang, I've not done anything yet! I know in this 'future' I've hurt you, but I love you! Don't do this to me! To _us_! To _yourself_! You won't be _you_ anymore! Stop! _Please_!" Katara collapsed on the stone floor of the sanctuary, heaving with heavy sobs as Yue came to console her friend.

Yue's words were forced; she hated to speak them at all, especially while Katara was in so much pain, "We know this is difficult Katara, but for the sake of the world, you have to see this." Pulling the young woman into a hug, Yue felt Katara bury her face against the Moon Spirit's shoulder, shaking with grief.

"Katara."

At the sound of his voice, she tore herself from Yue's arms and faced Aang.

"Aang, I'm sorry. None of this will ever happen, of that I promi-"

"I'm so, so sorry, Katara. I love you so much. I thought what we shared was something beautiful – the kind of love they write about in legends – like that between Oma and Shu. I guess it was too good to be true – I blame myself, clearly I didn't do enough to make you happy. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me someday. But I know this is for the best, for both of us. I'm sorry I won't be able to return your love anymore." Katara gasped, heartbroken and at a loss for words, as the light emanating from his tattoos increased in intensity. She heard his last words, barely above a whisper, before she was completely blinded. "I love you, Katara."

Then, as soon as it began, it ended. The glow had disappeared from his tattoos completely and he lay eagle-sprawled on the floor, clearly exhausted from the ordeal. Slowly, he rose, breathing in deeply before opening his eyes. When he did, Katara sobbed anew. His eyes were no longer the beautiful silver they were in the moonlight when they practiced Waterbending, nor were they the stormy gray that radiated his happiness and carefree spirit which regularly captivated her on a daily basis, but a stone-cold, lifeless shade of gray. He was no longer Aang, he was the Avatar. He smiled, apparently pleased with the success of his meditation, but it held no happiness to it. There was none of the joy that filled the air like when he would smile before – this was but a mask, no, a _shell_, of the loving young man Aang had been.

Before she could try and curse him for destroying himself, the mist had yet again surrounded Katara, and without protest, she let it drag her away to her next destination. Not bothering to open her eyes, she listened to the words of The Painted Lady as said spirit placed a protective arm around her. "Aang will remain at the Southern Air Temple for the next three months, recuperating and training. He has unlocked more power than ever before – at the cost of his humanity, his emotions. At the same time he let go of his love for you, a coup began that would lead to untold devastation and death. Do you remember a man by the name of Long Feng?"

At this, Katara's eyes snapped open, blinking back the tears that seemed to be falling nonstop. "Yes, I remember him. He killed Jet – and even though I didn't have feelings for him anymore, Jet was still a friend. And because of Long Feng working with Azula, Aang was killed. So, yes, it's hard for me to forget the man that took two people I cared for away from me, especially the man I love."

«_Good._» The Forest Spirit spoke, bringing Katara's attention to their surroundings – the Earth King's throne room. «_You are about to witness Long Feng's second coup against the Earth King – this time, it's not bloodless like the first._»


	3. Chapter 3: The Hundred Day War

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko; I own nothing.

**A/N** – From this point on, Aang is very out of character from what we see in the show. The best way to imagine him in this story from now on, in my opinion, is to take his attitude during most of "The Serpent's Pass" and amplify it. As much as it pains me to say it – imagine the worst parts of Aang from _AtLA_, combine them, add some jerkbender, and you've got Aang in this story.

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**Chapter 3: The Hundred Day War**

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«_You are about to witness Long Feng's second coup against the Earth King – this time, it's not bloodless like the first._»

_Before her eyes, Katara watched with abject horror as Earth King Kuei, an advisor, and the king's beloved pet bear, Bosco, strolled into the room, heading for his throne. When the trio was roughly halfway to the throne, in the center of the room, the attack began. The advisor, an Earthbender, was killed instantly as an arrow sailed through the air into his back. Bosco fell next, imprisoned in a cage of stone. Kuei whirled around in shock, only to come face-to-face with his former 'Grand Secretariat,' Long Feng. _

_"Hello, your majesty. I'm afraid your reign has come to an end. Please, let us end it peacefully and you can join your precious bear in a cell for the rest of your days." In the past, Kuei would have readily accepted such terms of surrender, but his new-found confidence ever since the Yu Dao incident overcame his fear. _

_"Long Feng, no matter what you plan to do, the Avatar _will_ stop you. And I will not submit to you. I am done running like the coward I was. I have a nation to run, and despite my shortcomings, I know I am far more capable to lead it than you would ever be." His words struck a chord with the head of the Dai Li, who now appeared to be seething with rage. _

_"So be it, _your majesty._" With that, Long Feng brought down a large portion of the ceiling, crushing Kuei instantly. Turning to his soldiers, he barked out his orders. "Secure the palace! Get rid of that bear – I don't care what you do with it, just get it out of my sight! And be on alert, General How and General Sung managed to escape their assassination attempts!" As the Dai Li agents turned to carry out his commands, a vile grin appeared on Long Feng's face as he spoke to the now-dead Kuei. "It's a shame you were so confident in your precious Avatar, your highness. I'm not sure if you heard, but he hasn't been seen in over a month. No Avatar means there will be no resistance to my rule, for the king is dead." Seating himself at the throne, he laughed before uttering to the room, "_Long live the king_." _

If it were possible as a spirit, Katara was paled from the sight of Kuei's sudden death, and when she turned to face those guiding her on this possible future, her gaping mouth was all they needed to see to answer the unspoken question. Kyoshi stepped forward, "Long Feng plans to use the dwindling, but still-present feelings of hatred for the Fire Nation to rally the Earth Kingdom's army. With his Dai Li commanding it, he will make quick work of gaining complete control of the continent." Kyoshi's eyes glowed again, presenting Katara with several scenes of the 'future.'

_The cackling laughter of King Bumi echoed in Katara's vision as he listened to the demands of 'Earth King' Long Feng to surrender the city of Omashu to the Dai Li's control. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid there's no sensible ruler here in Omashu willing to accept such a demand." As if the Dai Li had been expecting this, Bumi's limbs and neck were suddenly gripped with metal cuffs, holding him in place. _

_Pulling out a knife from his robes, the Dai Li agent in command strode toward Bumi as his companions took care of the palace guards. "Wrong choice, your highness. What a tragic end to your long and fruitful reign." _

Before Katara could see the brutal scene about to unfold, the environment in her vision changed, while Kyoshi spoke to her in the background. "The Dai Li were my greatest failure – I wanted them to be feared and respected, yes, but I never wanted them to be used to utterly destroy the freedoms of the Earth Kingdom people. Some of them, by watching your friend Toph and her students, have learned how to Metalbend, something not even King Bumi, with all his Earthbending prowess, could manage."

_A scream tore Katara away from Kyoshi's story. She could almost recognize the individual it belonged to. The voice that tore through the air next confirmed her suspicions. "Suki! Where are you?!" Katara suddenly realized she was on Kyoshi Island, where her brother and sister-in-law were currently living. But the view she was presented with was far from peaceful. Her brother, clad in his Water Tribe armor, was racing through the remnants of the small seaside village. As he ran past the broken and burning buildings, Katara gasped as she caught glimpses of bodies strewn throughout the debris. Oyaji's robes were visible underneath a pile of stone and Ty Lee's neck was bent at an impossible angle. Suki's screams, which Katara now recognized easily, yet again cut through the air. Following her brother, she saw the scene unfold before her – and her heart broke even more. _

_"Sokka, I-I think t-this is it." Her brother had made his way to his wife's side, clutching one of her hands firmly and stroking her hair lovingly with his other hand. "I'm pretty sure this is something that can't be h-healed." Katara knew Suki was correct – the large wooden plank embedded in her midsection wasn't going to be fixed by even the strongest Waterbending. Tears were flowing freely down Sokka's face, but he was making no effort to hide them. The wall of debris surrounding them shifted dangerously. "S-Sokka, get out of here w-while you still can. I don't want my death to take you too. I love you." _

_Lying down next to his dying wife, despite her protests, Sokka gripped her hand even tighter. "Suki, I already had to live after my first beloved died, and I'm not sure I can manage to go on without you. I nearly lost it when Yue passed on and if I lose you too, I know I'm not going to be living a life anymore. Spirits be damned, I'm going to join you this night whether you like it or not." Leaning his head down to kiss her, he then rested his forehead against hers, locking their eyes together. "I love you, too, Suki." Before either could move to stop it, the beam holding up the rubble – of what Katara now recognized was what remained of their home – gave way, crushing her brother and sister-in-law instantly. _

Katara would have screamed – if her throat hadn't been raw from yelling. She would have cried – had her eyes not shed all their tears already. All she could do was watch the scene, completely grief-stricken. She didn't know how long she stared at the pile of debris – waiting for any sign that her brother _had_ survived, but nothing came. When her voice finally returned, and a few tears had finally rushed down her tanned cheeks, she simply asked, "How?"

Again, Kyoshi's voice cut through the silence. "They were protecting my home island from Long Feng's army. After Omashu fell, the people of Kyoshi Island prepared to defend themselves, intent on surviving another war. They were expecting a battle to come by sea and storm the beaches. They never suspected what actually happened – a bombing campaign, thanks to the Earth Kingdom's own War Balloons."

"This isn't the end, though, is it?" Katara asked. "There's still more to come, isn't there? More death, more destruction – more despair. And it's all my fault."

Roku's calming presence brought her out of her thoughts. "Katara, my lifelong indecisiveness, combined with my friendship with a man that I had once seen as a brother, led directly to my death and a century of violence and bloodshed – including the genocide of the Air Nomads, excluding Aang. Your one regretful decision would indirectly lead to a few months of chaos. In the long run, no one will remember the Hundred Day War – it will be too overshadowed by the Hundred _Year_ War. It is just especially difficult for you because you lose so many you care about."

"How many more members of my family, including my friends, die?"

"Let us show you, as tragic as it might be." Roku's eyes glowed just like Kyoshi's, bringing a new wave of visions to Katara.

_She saw Zuko, leading a defense of the United Republic against the Earth Kingdom. As he rallied the troops, a mixture of Fire Nation soldiers, Earth Kingdom rebels, and Water Tribe warriors, a spear of earth erupted behind him, stabbing him through the back. He fell to the ground, lifeless. _

_She turned, still in shock, as she saw her father, charging into battle – clubbing down attacking Earth Kingdom soldiers. Around his right arm she could see her brother's choker linked with Suki's betrothal necklace. Fighting alongside him were his best friend, Bato, and his step-father, Master Pakku. Out of nowhere, an Earth Kingdom tank appeared, and before any of the three could act, razor-sharp discs of stone shot out of the tank. Crying out in horror, Katara watched as one of the discs felled her step-grandfather as it hit him square in the chest. Another caught her father's left arm, amputating it between the shoulder and the elbow. Before another round could be sent off, Bato had taken Hakoda's club and thrown it down alongside his own – their sign of surrender. _

_The battle ended – the United Republic had fallen against the might of the Earth Kingdom. She watched as Huu treated her father's wound to the best of his ability – but she could tell from his eyes he wasn't thinking of the pain as Bato wound Pakku's choker below Sokka's choker and Suki's necklace – he was thinking of how he was going to tell his mother her husband was dead. Three of her family members were dead, another maimed, and her lover also killed. And worst of all, her boyfriend no longer loved her, and despite being the only chance for peace in this world, he had again disappeared, when his mere _presence_ would have prevented this horror – and it was all _her _fault. _

"And just where am I, in all this?" Katara's words were barely above a whisper as she continued to watch the horror unfold before her.

"Where you always are – chasing after Aang." Yue smiled down at her friend, albeit sadly. The Moon Spirit's cheeks were stained with tears and Katara assumed it was a result of seeing Sokka's 'death.' "You were always too stubborn to listen, Katara. When he said not to bother looking for him, it only encouraged you to try even harder. You never found him, but you never gave up. He left the Southern Air Temple only days before you finally made it there. By the time you return, the war has ended." Yet again, the environment shifted and presented Katara with multiple visions of the future.

_Long Feng laughed maniacally as Aang approached him at the steps to the Earth King's throne. "What are you going to do, Avatar? Take my bending away? Imprison me? Another of my Dai Li agents will simply take my place!" _

_Aang simply stared at the self-declared "Earth King" before answering. "It was never my intention to let you simply walk away from this, Long Feng. I didn't kill Fire Lord Ozai because it went against my beliefs as an Air Nomad and to prove I could find alternatives to violence. However, I've recently realized that in order to be truly effective as the Avatar, I cannot afford to always think like an Air Nomad. Therefore, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you." _

_Long Feng simply smiled his trademark sadistic grin, laughing while he replied, "You don't have it in you. If you did, Ozai would have fallen at your hands those years ago!" _

_"Any last words?" _

_"Yes, in fact." Ordering the Dai Li positioned throughout the room, he simply said, "Kill him." _

_Turning his back on the carnage unfolding between his agents and the Avatar, Long Feng closed his eyes and seated himself at his throne. Upon opening his eyes, they widened as he felt a spear blade pressed to his chest. "Your agents were well-trained, but they never stood a chance against the Avatar State." Glancing around the room in abject terror, Long Feng saw the remains of his subordinates – _scattered_ throughout the room – killed in mere _seconds_ by the man before him. _

_"If you are truly the last Airbender, you'll show mercy." _

_Aang's eyes softened at the request and he offered Long Feng a small smile. "Of course I'll show mercy." Long Feng breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll make this quick and painless." Before the powerful Earthbender could act, cold metal plunged through his chest and as the life rapidly left his eyes, he realized the Avatar was partly true to his word – it was quick, but unfortunately, quite painful. _

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**A/N** - So, I had Aang kill Long Feng (and several Dai Li agents). Something he would _never_ do in canon. Aang is running, for the most part, as a purely logic-based, methodical machine. Killing Long Feng would have the most powerful impact on any Dai Li wanting to stand up against the Avatar. Just debending him would leave him alive and still have the ability to rule the Dai Li, even from a prison cell, as we've seen in canon. The next chapter is entirely "visions" and will be up shortly.


	4. Chapter 4: Our Wounds Still Bleed

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko; I own nothing.

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**Chapter 4: Our Wounds Still Bleed**

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_Fire Lord Iroh stood beside the Avatar on the edge of what was to become Air Temple Island. "Aang, I'm sorry this wasn't exactly what my nephew had in mind for your statue, but with the cost of the Hundred Day War, we could simply not afford an entirely new statue." The two men were watching the conversion of the statue of Iroh's father into a replica of the current Avatar. The colossal statue was originally from the Great Gates of Azulon, but after the Hundred Year War and then the Hundred Day War, the Avatar had requested the Great Gates be removed. Rather than destroying the statue, the Fire Lord decided to have it transferred to Republic City and remodeled to look like Aang. _

_"It's fine, Iroh. As long as the people of the world see it for what it is – a reminder that their Avatar is back and will never again leave. And that I will never allow another tyrant to try and rule the world – as long as the council follows my orders, I'll ensure the world enters into a new era of peace and prosperity." Sipping his tea, Aang glanced around to the Air Acolytes constructing the temple, specifically eyeing the women. "I don't want you to worry about any of the cruelties your forefathers inflicted Iroh. Soon," he spoke as he eyed the female Acolytes almost hungrily, "the Air Nation will be reborn." _

_Iroh turned his back to the Avatar, his face a mixture of disgust and pity, as he replaced his now-empty cup of tea on its tray. "I am honored by your words, Avatar Aang, but I'm afraid I must return home. Thank you for meeting with me." Bowing respectfully, the elderly man then began walking towards the island's dock to take the ferry back to the city's port and his ship. He would have tried to remind Aang of how "power and perfection were overrated," but the Avatar had lost his way and Iroh knew he would not win any arguments today. _

_Lost in his own thoughts, Aang simply muttered to himself, "Safe travels, Fire Lord. Safe travels." Dropping his half-full tea cup on the ground, the Avatar lustfully strode towards Hei-Won, intent on beginning the process of repopulating his lost nation. _

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_"Thank you for agreeing to see me, Xing Ying." Sipping at her cup of tea, Katara gave a shy smile. "And thanks for the tea." _

_The Air Acolyte returned the gesture, "You're welcome, Master Katara. I'm glad I could finally meet with you. It's been rough the past few months at the temple." _

_"That's what I came to talk to you about. How is Aang?" The concern and sadness that briefly flashed across Katara's face before the Waterbender hid it behind her mask was not lost on the Acolyte. _

_"The Avatar is doing fine. Republic City is prospering and Air Temple Island is finally completed. It doesn't feel right though. I knew someday there'd be families among the Acolytes, but I never expected so many women would be carrying the children of one man." _

_Angrily, Katara asked, "How many?" _

_"At last count, practically the entire former Ba Sing Se chapter of the Avatar's Fan Club. Hei-Won, Won-Yee, and Yee-Li have already given birth to healthy Airbenders. The Acolytes who were once part of the Yu Dao chapter, including myself, are having no part of it. This isn't the Avatar who helped save Yu Dao years ago. When he and then-Fire Lord Zuko told us of their plans for Republic City, I imagined one day there would be little Air Nomads running around – perhaps with their Water Tribe siblings. I'm sorry for whatever happened to you two, Katara – I remember you two were so close, so in love. Do you know anything about why he's become the way he has?" _

_Lifting her blue eyes to meet the gaze of her companion, Katara willed the tears forming in her eyes not to fall, but despite her best efforts, a few traversed her cheeks. "I happened, Xing, I happened." The Water Tribe native proceeded to explain her story to the Acolyte – her awful mistake, continuing her affair with Zuko, Aang's confrontation and departure, his absence sparking a new war, how she learned from Toph that he had 'let go' of her, and how that had radically changed his personality. _

_Handing her guest a handkerchief, Xing Ying commented, "It sounds like you both made mistakes, but it also sounds like you're both not happy." Growing curious, Katara tilted her head at the end of the other woman's sentence, wiping away her tears. Sensing her confusion, Xing continued, "Despite his outward appearance, I can tell that Avatar Aang isn't happy. He can father all the children he wants, give out orders to the City's Council all day, but he's not happy. I can sense there's a part of him that wants to break free of the monotony and order, but he's buried it deep down." With a hopeful expression, she pleaded to Katara, "Please, perhaps you could come to the island and finally free him of this pain. I think it would do him some good to see you again – even if just as a friend." _

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

_Despite her nervousness, Katara had eventually agreed to Xing Ying's request and a month after meeting with the Acolyte, the Waterbending Master was on a ferry to Air Temple Island. _

_"It's good to see you again, Sugar Queen." The Chief of Republic City's Police Force stood beside her on the ferry, offering support for her old friend. "It'll be just like the good old days." _

_"If only, Toph. If only." Katara shivered, almost as if the spirits of Sokka, Suki, and Zuko were there, reminding her that only half of 'Team Avatar' was actually alive and that it would never again be like 'the good old days.' _

_As the two women stepped off of the boat, Xing was there to greet them. "Chief Beifong, Master Katara," she said as she bowed respectfully, "Welcome to Air Temple Island." _

_While Katara returned the bow, Toph merely cut to the chase. "You know why we're here, Xing. Take us to see Aang." _

_"Please," Katara quickly added. Despite everything that had happened over the years, Toph's blunt nature had certainly not been one of the things that changed. Xing Ying nodded before leading the two other women towards the main building on the island. Once inside, she guided them towards the end of a long hall, knocking on what appeared to be an office door. _

_"Avatar Aang, your guests have arrived." A short pause followed the statement, but shuffling was heard just before the door opened, courtesy of an Airbending trick. _

_"Please, send them in." Katara tried not to let her emotions overwhelm her at the sound of Aang's voice as she and Toph slowly stepped into the room, Xing shutting the door behind them. Aang had appeared to take no notice of either of his 'guests' as he began to resume writing a letter at his desk, so Toph began pacing the room, the metal on the soles of her otherwise bare-feet noisily echoing on the wood-paneled stone floor. Without glancing up from his work, he asked "Chief Beifong, may I help you?" _

_"I'm off-duty Aang, you can drop the title. Besides, I'm only here for support. Your other guest is the one who wants to speak with you." Aang simply nodded at her words, as if waiting for the second guest to start speaking. _

_Katara finally found her voice, "Hello, Aang. It's been a while." She noticed the distinct pause in his writing when she spoke. _'That's a good sign,' _she thought, _'He still remembers me.'

_Finishing his letter, he placed his brush down and finally raised his head to acknowledge his former beloved. Katara gasped when she realized he had actually grown a beard since she had seen him last. She liked it, but that mattered little anymore. _

_"Master Katara, I'm glad to see you're doing well." His words were emotionless, but Katara caught the very slight waiver in his voice as he spoke her name. Turning towards the Police Chief, he requested, "Toph, I'd like to speak to Katara in private, please – would you mind stepping outside for a few minutes?" Toph gave a stiff nod and turned to walk out the door, but when she passed Katara, she paused and laid a hand on her friend's shoulder, giving an encouraging smile. With that, Toph walked out of the room, shutting the door silently behind her. Katara glanced around the room, admiring the similarities it shared with parts of the other Air temples. "Why are you here, Katara?" Aang's question shook Katara out of her reverie and she locked eyes with Aang. The cold, calculating gray eyes stared back at her and Katara bit back a sob – the eyes held no warmth, no spirit; no _love_. And _she_ was the reason for that. Aang gestured to the opposite side of his desk, "Please, sit. Tell me what troubles you." _

_Accepting his offer, the Waterbender sat herself at one of the two chairs in front of his large desk, never breaking eye contact – she was searching for _something_ that was the old Aang. "_You_ trouble me, Aang. This isn't you." _

_The Air Nomad appeared perplexed as he raised an eyebrow, "_What_ isn't me, Katara? You're going to have to be specific." _

_The lack of emotion in his voice, combined with Aang's seemingly still-caring nature, caused Katara to let her bottled-up emotions explode forth. "_Everything_ isn't _you_! Can't you see that?! You're not the Aang that Toph and I grew up with! You never wanted people to worship you, yet you have a giant statue in the harbor! You always talked about how much you hated the politicians of the world who urged you to take multiple, non-bending wives from the Earth Kingdom – yet, now you've done exactly that! And there was a time, not too long ago, where you told me you loved me and said you'd never let me go, no matter the circumstances! And you've done exactly THAT!" By the end of her rant, she was standing in front of the desk, fuming. The plants that had been growing throughout the room in pots were now shriveled and dead – some of their pots destroyed, thanks to the Waterbender's emotional fury. Calmly, Aang stood from his chair, gathered some water out of the air into a cup, added a few tea leaves from a collection behind his desk, and heated it in his palm with Firebending to quickly brew it. _

_After a few tense moments, he turned back to the still-steaming Water Tribe woman. "Drink this, it'll help you calm down." Passing the tea to her hands, he continued, "Iroh says Jasmine is the best tea to drink when one has frayed nerves, and I must say, you seem to have plenty." Grimacing at his last sentence, Katara nonetheless drank the tea. It was warm, but not too hot. It was flavorful, but not overly so. _'Just the way I like it; the way he used to make it for me,' _she thought. _'He's still in there, somewhere.'_ Katara stood by his desk, sipping her tea as calmly as she could while Aang worked to clean the destroyed plants around the room. While he did so, he began answering Katara's questions. _

_"You're right, Katara. I'm not the _child_ you and Chief Beifong tutored so many years ago – I grew up. I don't want the people of the world to worship me – if they do, that's their own prerogative – but I wanted them to remember that I'm here and I'm not going to disappear again for a hundred years or several months. As for the Acolytes carrying and giving birth to Airbending children – it was the only logical solution. Honestly, the twelve women who are with child right now aren't what I wanted when I originally pictured the new Air Nomad line." _

_Katara's eyes filled with hope, thinking he still desired a family. Sadly, her hopes were quickly dashed as Aang elaborated, "I actually want more, but the women from Yu Dao don't seem to be receptive to carrying my Airbending heirs. I'll find more in time, though." By this point, he had done all he could to clean-up the dead plants and destroyed pottery, so he turned back to Katara. As he walked towards her, she finished her tea, placing the cup on his desk. "Feeling better?" he asked. _

_Katara nodded, "Much, thank you." Truthfully, she was not, but she wanted Aang to continue and hear him answer her last question. _

_He continued walking until he stood about a foot away from her. The closeness reminded Katara of their first kiss as a couple in Ba Sing Se years ago. "I suppose you want to hear what I have left to say." At Katara's terse nod, he leaned down, closing the distance between himself and Katara. Her breath hitched in her throat as his warm breath tickled her ear. "Deep down, there's part of me that never stopped loving you – even after I let you go" he whispered. And with that, he took her head in his hands – his eyes appearing warm and welcoming again – and planted his lips firmly against hers, bringing her into a passionate kiss. _

_Katara's mind reeled as she began kissing him back while her arms wrapped around his neck and his hands slid down to grasp her around her waist. All the longing and buried love between the two was brought to the surface, their emotions overflowing. But just as quickly as it started, Aang pulled away. Katara opened her eyes a few moments later, out of breath and very flushed. Gazing into his eyes, Katara saw the warmth yet again disappear. "Unfortunately, Katara, that part of me _will_ remain buried." _

_Furious and upset, as a few tears rolled down her cheeks, Katara lashed out at him, "Who gave you the right to toy with my feelings like this?!" _

_Smirking, Aang used his fingers to tilt her chin upwards to meet his gaze. When they locked eyes, he spoke, "Did you ever wonder how I knew about the affair in the first place?" Before Katara could answer, he elaborated. "I was planning on surprising you at the palace that night. I knew I'd be getting back late, but I was going to wake you up and take you on Appa to this beautiful island I'd found, not too far away. And there, under the stars, I was going to propose to you. That's right – the night you started cutting my heart out, I was planning on asking you to marry me. But imagine my dismay as I wandered to your room, only to hear you moaning _Zuko's_ name. So _you_ gave me that right. When you played with my love – and lied to me about it. That was when _you _gave me the right to return the favor. You broke my heart once – and it's never healed; it never will. I only hope I was able to do half as much damage to yours as you did to mine. Now, Katara, I want you to leave my island – and never, ever come back." _

_Her tears flowing freely down her face, she swung her hand up towards his face in an effort to slap him for his teasing, but he caught her before she could. "_Don't. _ You brought this on yourself – on _us_. Don't try and make yourself out as the victim, Katara." With that, he released her from his grip and threw open his office door. Putting on a pleasant mask for those waiting outside, he simply said, "It was good seeing you, Katara. But I know this is for the best, for both of us." He shut the door as Katara – now sobbing outright – fell into Toph's waiting arms. The Metalbender held her friend all the way back to the mainland, doing her best to comfort her. _

_Back on the island, on the cliff-side far away from the docks, a man in his early twenties was staring out at the sea. Xing Ying watched from afar as she saw the Avatar – for the first time in years – shed a single tear, as a sudden rain began to fall upon the city. _

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**A/N** - So, Aang is very methodical and acts on logic, but with his distorted personality, he is also a pretty big jerk…

So I do have a partially written fifth chapter, but I probably won't post that for a while, unless inspiration hits me. I'll probably try and finish a much happier, fluffier, and cheesier, modern AU Kataang one-shot - hopefully that will be posted within the next few hours.


	5. Chapter 5: Alone and Unloved

**Disclaimer**: _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ belongs to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko; I own nothing.

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**Chapter 5: Alone and Unloved**

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_Katara sat quietly in her small home at the South Pole. Despite the still-growing population of the Southern Water Tribe, the Waterbending master felt very alone. She had all but celebrated her sixty-eighth birthday alone, but Toph had surprised Katara by sending a letter, written by her daughter Lin, wishing the older woman well. As she swirled the dregs of tea in her cup with a small Waterbending move, a sudden knock came to her door. Placing her cup on the table next to her seat, she made her way to the door. Upon opening it, she saw a tall man, bundled from the wind in a thick parka, standing in her doorway. "May I come in, Master Katara?" _

_"Certainly, mister… ?" _

_"Tenzin, ma'am. Tenzin." _

_"Then, please, Tenzin, make yourself at home. To what does an old lady like myself owe such a visit from a kind, young stranger?" Eyeing the newcomer with apprehension and curiosity, especially when he didn't make any effort to remove his gloves or lower his hood, Katara wondered what his motives were. Despite her mild concern, she could tell that the man looked to be in his early forties, had friendly – almost familiar – gray eyes, and a long, but neatly trimmed beard – he definitely seemed like he meant Katara no harm. _

_"I came bearing a message for you – a letter, actually – from Avatar Aang." At this point, Katara had grabbed her cup of tea from the table and was moving to clean it out, but when Tenzin's words hit her, the tea cup fell to the floor, shattering. "Master Katara, are you alright?" _

_Offering a wry smile, and blinking back a few tears, the elderly woman replied, "I'm fine – just very surprised. I never expected to hear from him again – the last time we spoke was more than forty years ago." _

_"I'm sorry to hear that. Here is your letter," Tenzin passed her the scroll from his seat – she had returned to her own chair, the broken tea cup forgotten for the moment. _

_"Thank you, Tenzin." The younger individual smiled slightly, before turning his gaze towards his hands – clasped together in his lap – he knew what was probably on the letter. Katara's eyes widened as she gazed on the all-too-familiar hand-writing, even after nearly half a century apart. _

'My dearest Katara,

I know you're probably wondering why I am sending you a letter now, after so many years. Honestly, I felt I couldn't finish my life's journey without mending as many fences as I possibly could – especially you of all people; you who deserved so much more than this letter.

By the time you receive this letter, I will have passed on. I fear my century spent in suspended animation had a much greater drain on my body than I had imagined. I made a terrible mistake almost fifty years ago, Katara – I let you go. I know I was angry. I know you were sorry – how much you regretted your infidelity. If only then I had the wisdom I have now. It took me years, but I could never stay angry at you. I'm sorry, Katara. I'm sorry for denying you the opportunity to atone for your actions. I'm sorry for being so rash and letting my worries get the best of me, contorting my mind into believing I was better off without you. No matter how many Airbending children I father, they do not compare to what I imagined having a family with you would be like. So, most importantly of all, I'm sorry I allowed the two of us to grow old alone and unloved. As I knew my time was approaching in the coming days, I let down my emotional mask, releasing all the pain and sorrow I'd pent up over the decades. I should have said all of this to you when you came to visit the island all those years ago. I wish we could have made things work between us – I wish that _I_ could have tried harder to make things work. I understand if you never forgive me for my foolishness – I realize now that my heart never healed after I left you because you weren't there to fix it. So, in parting words – I'm sorry, for everything; I never stopped loving you Katara, despite my outer shell, and I am truly sorry I never had the courage to accept your apologies.

Yours,

Aang

P.S., Will you go penguin sledding with me?'

_By the time she had finished reading, Katara's cheeks were covered in wet tears. She wept silently, grasping the letter with both hands, staring aimlessly off into space. Tenzin watched her, concerned, but respectfully letting her grieve for the man she had never stopped loving. As the tears slowed and a smile formed on her lips, Tenzin heard her whisper, "Uh, sure! I guess…?" before she finally turned back towards her guest. "Forgive me, Tenzin, it was just a lot to take in." _

_"There is no need to apologize, Master Katara. I expected that the news would be shocking." _

_"So, why did Aang send you to deliver me the message? Why not just send it via messenger hawk? Why send an Acolyte?" _

_"Avatar Aang thought it best that someone _personally_ deliver his last message for you. And," Tenzin lowered his hood, "I am not an Acolyte." Removing his gloves, Katara's eyes widened slightly at the sky blue arrow tattoos adorning his shaved head and hands. "While most of my other half-siblings distanced themselves from the world, I never could, and at the end, I was one of the few of my father's children he said he truly loved. He told me he was proud of me for choosing a future with my emotions as opposed to closing them off, as he had for so long. And he said he was proudest of my decision," the Airbending Master wiped a stray tear of his own from his eye, "to marry and raise a family. While he never said anything, I knew when he asked me to deliver this letter to you that he always regretted not marrying you and raising children together." _

_"How did you know about me?" _

_Tenzin smiled slightly, "For a few years, I dated Chief Beifong's daughter Lin. Before, and after, our romantic relationship, she passed on to me many of the stories her mother told her growing up. That and I asked some of the Acolytes from Yu Dao, namely Xing Ying." Tenzin paused, uncertain of whether or not he had the right to ask the question that had formed in his mind. _

_Taking note of his hesitance, Katara encouraged him, "Whatever it is you want to ask me, Tenzin, I won't hold it against you." _

_The younger man stared at the ground, despite being given her permission to ask, he seemed ashamed of what he was going to say, to pry so deeply into her personal life. Sighing, he spoke, "After all these years, why did you never marry?" _

_Katara gave a sorrowful chuckle, "I ask myself that at least once a day." _

_Tenzin looked up, "And?" _

_"And I always tell myself – 'you hurt the love of your life so irrevocably, what makes you think you'll be better to a man you love less?'" _

_"I … I see."_

_Katara glanced over at her visitor, "And you know what the worst part is? I can never remember when my affair with Zuko began, or why it started in the first place. It's just like the lust showed up one day, out of the blue." _

_"Normally I would say that these things happen for a reason," Tenzin spoke softly, "but I honestly have no idea why two people who deserved happy lives ended up being wrecked by so much pain." _

_An awkward silence came over the two benders, contemplating each other's words. Eventually, Katara stood and made her way to the broken tea cup sitting on the floor. Bending some water out from the sink, she collected the shards of glass in a sphere of water before moving the sphere above a waste basin and allowing the pieces of glass to be expelled. After the last chunk of glass had fallen out of its liquid prison, the Master Waterbender returned the water to the sink. Tenzin watched this methodical process curiously, but said nothing. _

_"Well," she said as she walked back over to her seat, "I hate to say it, but it is getting late. If you don't have anywhere to stay, you're welcome to stay here Master Tenzin." _

_The Airbender stood, "I have a room at the inn down the road, thank you though for your kind offer, Master Katara. And please, just 'Tenzin' is fine." _

_The Waterbender looked up at the man – he looked so much like Aang, it was painful. "Well, then, if we're forgoing formalities, I'm just 'Katara.'" She smiled slightly, "And thank you, Tenzin, for the letter. It means more than you know." _

_"You are very welcome, Mas-, _Katara_. Well, I won't keep you any longer. It was nice meeting you." _

_"And you as well, Tenzin." The Airbender bowed respectfully towards the aged Water Tribe woman, and after Katara returned the gesture, he stood straight, smiled, and walked out the door. Katara watched his retreating form – he didn't bother to pull his hood back up, so the sky blue tattoo running down the back of his skull was clearly visible. _

_The Waterbender had memories of a similarly tattooed man walking through the snowy streets of the Southern Water Tribe many years prior. However, unlike Tenzin, that man in her memories would turn his head around and smile a large crooked grin before turning around completely, running up to her, grabbing her around her waist and spinning her about until they were both laughing like giddy children. Closing the door, Katara silently shed a few more tears before she turned in for bed. _

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"You pass away a few short years later. Aside from some members of the Southern Water Tribe, only three other people – Toph Beifong, her daughter Lin, and Tenzin attend your funeral."

"_Roku_! I think the poor girl's had enough for a while. Let her relax, have some time to absorb everything she's learned." Kuruk's words were met with mumbles of agreement from the rest of the spirits.

Yangchen continued, "And then she can see another future that might come."

Yue smiled, "A much happier future."

"_If_ she isn't careless, we still don't know how things will play out once she is returned to the physical realm. Sometimes lust is a more powerful force than love," Roku added cautiously.

Unbeknownst to the spirits, Katara had barely paid attention to what they were saying. Her mind was replaying the words of her 'future' self over and over again. Avatar Kyoshi shook her from her thoughts. "Just let us know when you're ready to continue, Katara."

"Huh? Oh, right. I will. Just give me a few more minutes."

Kyoshi nodded before turning back and joining the other spirits. Yue was the only one who picked up on just how distracted Katara had been, so she wandered over to her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Katara, what's going on; what're you thinking about?"

"My 'future' self was saying how she can't remember when I started my affair with Zuko. I know it started in the Palace library with a bottle of sake between us, but I can't remember _when_. I don't know why Aang wasn't there, or rather, why I wasn't _with_ him. I can't even remember why I was feeling lust towards Zuko. Especially since…"

Yue watched as Katara simply stopped talking, the Waterbender's eyes growing wide. "Katara, what's wrong?"

"Especially since I _never_ had any sake; I remember that now. I never touched it. And Zuko barely had any. One moment we were talking and the next, we're together in bed. And the next morning, we're both hung-over, but we shouldn't have been." Suddenly Katara's hands flew up to the sides of her head and she began groaning in pain.

"Katara!"

"Yue, my head hurts. Make it stop! I keep trying to remember more about why Zuko and I slept together, why we lusted after each other, but the more I think about it, the more my head hurts!"

"Alright, Katara. Just stay calm. I'm going to go get Yangchen and The Painted Lady – they'll probably know what to do." Before the Moon Spirit could request help from her fellow spirits, Katara collapsed beside her, moaning in pain.

Within seconds, the other spirits were standing alongside her. "What happened?" Kuruk demanded.

Yue pointed at the unconscious Waterbender, "I don't know. One second we were talking, the next she complained about her head hurting, and then she collapsed."

Yangchen kneeled next to Katara's limp form; soft moans of pain could still be heard coming from the young woman's mouth. The Air Nomad Avatar sighed, "We'll let her rest for now. There's nothing we can do. And I have no idea what could have happened to cause this. When she wakes up, she can tell us what she remembers. Until then, we'll just have to watch over her."

* * *

**A/N** – I know I said this chapter was only partially finished, but I felt the sudden need to get it done. This chapter concludes Katara's "visions" of her 'future' where she 'cheated' on Aang. And yes, I added Tenzin. I imagine he looks just like he does in the series, except his eye color and skin tone are identical to his father's. The next chapter (whenever that goes up) will start with the spirits showing Katara her second possible 'future,' where she never 'cheated' on Aang.


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